The Waiting City Review

The Waiting City Review

Synopsis: Directed by Australian rising talent Claire McCarthy, The Waiting City tells the story of an outwardly happy Australian couple who journey to India to collect their adopted baby. When they arrive in Calcutta they discover that the adoption arrangements have still to be finalised. Soon the intoxicating mystic power of the city pulls them in separate and unexpected directions and the vulnerability of their marriage begins to reveal itself. The first Australian feature film to be shot entirely in India, The Waiting City is an intimate, complex love story of transformation, set against the exhilarating epic backdrop of Calcutta.

Verdict: Whilst I went through the full range of emotions while watching this film, from laughter, happiness to sorrow and back to happiness again, I did find the movie at times hard to understand. There were parts where things were left unsaid and you had to fill in the gaps. Sometimes these were explained later in the movie, but had left you wondering until then.

There were wonderful performances by many of the actors, not only Radha Mitchell and Joel Edgerton, but Samrat Chakrabarti with his very likeable and extremely honest representation of an average Indian family man.

The movie showed the raw emotions felt by people involved in adoption, especially from a foreign country, and the real life situations experienced on the way. It delved into the rifts that could occur between the intended parents whilst experiencing the setbacks, delays and tension this can all cause.

Before seeing this movie I thought it would only be appreciated only by parents, but I now believe that all adults would get some deep feelings from this movie.

I applaud Claire McCarthy for this honest portrayal of the difficult experiences of adoption in another country and the no hold back filming of normal life in India. - Jenni Hunter